Bhubaneswar: An IndiGo flight bound for Kolkata was canceled after it suffered a bird hit just minutes before takeoff on the runway at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday afternoon.
The flight was set to leave BPIA at 4.20 pm and reach Kolkata by 5.15 pm.
According to sources, the pilot informed Air Traffic Control about some technical snag, after which the take-off was halted. The airline later confirmed that the flight was aborted following a bird strike on the runway. “While the aircraft is undergoing necessary assessments before resuming operations, an alternative aircraft has been arranged to operate the flight. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers due to this unforeseen reason and all efforts are being made to minimize it including offering them refreshments and sharing regular updates about the flight. At IndiGo, safety and security of our customers and crew are of utmost importance to us,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
The aircraft, an Airbus A320, is said to have suffered bird-hit on the engine side and was sent to the bay for further inspection as a precaution as it could have sustained severe wear and tear after intermittently de-accelerating on the runway while aborting takeoff. “There was a report of bird-hit by the pilot of an IndiGo Bhubaneswar-Kolkata flight. Further investigation into the incident is on,” BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan was quoted as saying.
Around 120 flyers had to disembark following the incident. They boarded another aircraft at around 8 pm.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about frequent bird strikes at BPIA, attributed to the presence of residential areas, colonies, apartments, commercial centres, trees, ponds, and fish and meat shops around the airport. However, there has been a decrease in such incidents compared to the previous year, with 3-4 bird hits per month currently, down from about 6 per month in 2024.
